Before starting to develop a keyword strategy for Amazon it is important to understand the Amazon search algorithm. Just as Google has ranking factors for its search engine results pages, Amazon also has ranking influencing factors. If you need help getting things going consult the experts at Arthia who are on hand to help with your Amazon related queries, otherwise, Arthia have assembled a step by step guide below.
Steps we’ll cover:
- Keywords
- Conversions
- Product reviews
Although to a certain extent sellers or vendors have some influence over the reviews and conversions, by having a quality product and good customer service for example, the only one of these ranking factors you have full control over is keywords.
Keywords are one of the most crucial elements of your listing, they send signals to Amazon to let them know that your product is relevant to what the consumer is searching for and determines your visibility on the basis of how well optimised the listing is. They are also the element that is easiest to refine and perfect for enhanced performance.
Here are the three basic steps of a Amazon keyword strategy
1. Keyword research
Those in SEO will be no stranger to the term ‘keyword research’, but for those that haven’t been exposed to it, keyword research involves identifying keywords that are relevant to your core product that receive search volume. These keywords can be used within your product listing to optimise it and improve the relevancy signals and strength of the page to Amazon, helping it rank higher.
Start with a list of core or seed keywords. These will be the most basic descriptors of your product. For example if you sell “sustainable bamboo tupperware” your core terms may include “sustainable kitchen storage” “bamboo storage” “eco-friendly tupperware” and so on.
When you have a list of core terms you can use one of the various tools available, such as Keywordtool.io, Helium 10 or AMZDataStudio to find a wider list of keywords which will include long-tail terms, prepositions, questions and related terms too. These tools are usually paid for.
When you have bulked out your keyword list it is then time to refine it by cleaning those less relevant keywords, such as the keywords containing other brand names, and removing those with very low search volume.
2. Implement the keywords
Once you have a refined list of keywords which receive decent monthly searches on Amazon it is then time to start incorporating them into your product listing page.
There are three main places the keywords can be included:
Product Titles: The product title is the first priority for optimisation. Amazon titles are frequently loaded with keywords but, unlike Google, the marketplace doesn’t seem to mind. Include the most important keywords in the title.
Product Descriptions: The product description is the place which gives you the most space for adding keywords, which means not only can you get more in here you can also experiment with variations of keywords and long-tail terms too. While you will want to get as many keywords in this space as possible, it is important to bear in mind that you still need to appeal to consumers as well as Amazon. Make sure that the content still makes sense from a human understanding point of view, otherwise high rankings will not result in higher conversions.
In the back end: The Hidden, or Search Terms section of your Seller Central backend is an overlooked opportunity for keyword placement. The keywords will not be visible to Amazon users, but they do have an impact on Amazon’s ranking decisions. You have a 250 character limit to make use of- but be sure not to waste it on keywords already used in the consumer facing content.
3. Stay on top of it
Consistency is key for success when it comes to optimisation. Keyword research must be conducted regularly and listings updated as and when needed.
You should continue to use keyword tools to analyse your seed keywords and continue to monitor the activity of your competitors. This way, you’ll be able to spot any new, high-traffic terms growing in popularity when consumers are looking for products similar to yours.
After you’ve made your initial improvements, you should keep a watch on your listings to check how they’re doing in search. This way you can see if their performance has improved or if further changes need to be made.
